


think i was blind (before i met you)

by lunesdemiel



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Action & Romance, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Demons, Elves, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Mild Language, Minor Violence, Strangers to Lovers, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-05
Updated: 2019-10-18
Packaged: 2020-01-05 05:24:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18359489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunesdemiel/pseuds/lunesdemiel
Summary: Chan stared blankly at his friend. "I don't know what you're getting at."Woojin sighed. "You met Hyunjin, warrior-prince of the Eastern Court. The dude that singlehandedly prevented the incursion over Namsan from reaching the city. The Storm Drake. What you watched was probably his morning jog."or, Chan runs into Hyunjin and can't help but ask for a proper date. with less demons and more romance.





	1. a first

**Author's Note:**

> i uhhh just started stanning stray kids like four weeks ago. my brain, in its infinite foolishness, would not stop yelling at me until i made elf!hyunjin a literary reality. also, the hyunchan tag is dry as all hell.
> 
> unbetaed! i generally write and edit either on the bus home or in bed at 1 in the morning, so please bear with any mistakes or incongruities.
> 
> will do my best to update every one to two weeks.

"Showmanship has no place in battle." That's what his teacher said, opening their second lesson. "The elves — they die out there because they don't know when to stop dancing and start shooting."

 

Then they turned to face the unfortunate student in the front, and looked her dead in the eyes.

 

"And trust me, if they can't do it right, you sure as hell can't either."

 

Chan believed it. Didn't really know any better. It wasn't unusual to hear derision or derogatory talk of the elves in locker rooms and cafeterias. It even came from the colonel, who was supposed to discourage that kind of thing considering that the elves were declared allies a couple years back.

 

Seeing one fight, he realized that all the talk was probably motivated by fear. And maybe a little awe.

 

From behind his rotting log he watched the elf dance between demons. There was no better word to describe it. The fight almost looked choreographed, like it was practiced a hundred times. He twirled through claws and spines, flourished his hands as they cut down the enemy with unnatural force.

 

Now there were only two of the beasts left, the bodies of the rest already starting to crystallize. The first snarled with its crocodile mouth, and as if in response, the second buzzed its wings and drew back.

 

The larger demon lunged towards the elf, jaws open. The elf ducked under the attack and swung his arm up to his assailant's chest. The air sparked with magic. The demon's ribcage collapsed with a sickening crack, and the elf let the now lifeless body collapse onto the forest floor.

 

But the flying one was nowhere to be found. Even Chan had lost track of it. Still wary, the elf looked around a few times before turning to the bodies, pulling a knife from his coat.

 

Chan watched the elf go about his handiwork. He was glad to find out that the rumours about elves having an unearthly sort of beauty were true. All the books and television clips couldn't have done justice to the person he was watching. He hardly looked eighteen, but his expression hinted at something ancient.

 

The elf's eyes narrowed as he sliced away at chitin and claws. The blade slid too far, and Chan couldn't help but chuckle as the other paused and visibly sighed.

 

Then he heard a buzz overhead, and his heart froze.

 

Suddenly Chan was on his back, pinned by some hellish imitation of a wasp. It gnashed its mandibles at his face, and his hands against its neck were the only things keeping him alive. He could feel it pushing down, and he closed his eyes, waiting for the clicking to stop.

 

It did. He felt the creature's weight lift off his chest, and opened his eyes. Standing on the rotting log was the elf, levitating the demon with an extended hand and an unamused look on his face. He turned and whipped the hand around, throwing the creature out of Chan's sight. He heard its shell crunch against a tree, and he knew that was the end of it.

 

"Hey. Are you okay?"

 

Chan's gaze snapped back to the elf standing on the log, expression unreadable. He scrambled to his feet.

 

"Yes, uh, thank you for saving me mister." Chan bowed quickly. The elf tilted his head in response. "Can I call you mister?"

 

Just barely, the elf smiled. “You can call me Hyunjin. What are you doing out here?"

 

\---

 

"What were you doing out there!" Woojin smacked Chan upside of the head, attracting the stares of a few adjacent tables.

 

"It was cool, what can I say?" He shrugged, and Woojin rolled his eyes.

 

"Yeah, it was cool that you almost got your head bitten clean off. By a Subjugator too!" He scooped up some rice from his tray. "You're already ugly as is, how the hell am I supposed to look at you undead?"

 

Chan chuckled. "It can't be worse than how I look most mornings."

 

Woojin and Chan were both conscripted last year when the Pacific Maw had opened over Hawaii. Fearful of a large-scale invasion, the government quickly sought to bolster its military and pulled thousands into active service. The two were friends in university, and by some stroke of luck were in the same unit.

 

"Anyway, tell me about your knight in shining armour."

 

Chan thought back to last night. "So there I was, pinned by a demon that was trying to get a good taste of all this." He gestured to his face, making Woojin shake his head. "And then the elf grabbed it, lifted it in the air, and just threw it against a tree. Then he asked me if I was okay and I was all stuttering and shit because of the adrenaline and he was also really pretty and—"

 

Woojin put a hand on the other's shoulder for a moment. "Bro. Focus."

 

"Right. Yeah, so I thanked him profusely. He was looking at me kinda weird and I wasn't really sure what to say so I asked him for his name, and he said I could call him Hyunjin."

 

Woojin choked on his apple juice. "Did you say," he coughed out, "Hyunjin?"

 

"Yeah! It's a pretty name, right?" Woojin stared gravely at his friend. "What?"

 

"He was pale? Looks about our age? Little mole under one eye?” Chan nodded. “Channie, most elves don't take human names. That's what we call him in stories. News. Diplomatic affairs."

 

Chan stared blankly at his friend. "I don't know what you're getting at."

 

Woojin sighed. "You met Hyunjin, warrior-prince of the Eastern Court. The dude that singlehandedly prevented the incursion over Namsan from reaching the city. The Storm Drake. What you watched was probably his morning jog."

 

"So he's beautiful, royalty, and a badass? I really should get in touch with him again," Chan mused.

 

"And how do you plan to do that?”

 

Chan gave him a dangerous smile. "You'll see."

 

And he did, in fact, see. Later that night, Chan pulled him into their room, slammed the door, and went straight for the bag hanging off his bed. What Chan pulled out made Woojin regret ever asking.

 

"Is — is that a lodestone?" Woojin stepped closer to take a look at the gray teardrop in his friend's hand. He ran a finger over the rune carved into the surface, faintly pulsing in a ghastly blue.

 

"Yup! He said I could use this if I was ever in trouble and needed to be saved again." Chan laughed under his breath.

 

"How did you even get this past screening? Did it just not show up in your bag at the entrance?"

 

"I guess not! But anyway, he said that I have to trace the rune to make it point to its counterpart." He turned it over in his hand, enamoured with the warm magic emanating from the object.

 

"Doesn't this seem a little suspicious?" Woojin interjected. "Like, no offense, but how in the world did you get one of the most important people in the continent to basically give you his number?"

 

“I have my charms."

 

“That’s not the point, Chan.” He grabbed the other by the shoulders and stared him down. “Think of the danger.”

 

"I mean, yeah, but I was planning on taking you with me if I ever did use this. You know, just in case I got myself into some deeper shit than I'd expected." He smiled at the other, eyes and all. And how could Woojin say no to that face?

 

"Fine. Fine! We're going together. If I die, you will never hear the end of it from Seungmin."

 

“I wouldn't want it any other way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some things to expand upon:
> 
> \- geographically and historically, there is not much different from the real world except that a) magic is a thing, b) humans are not the only intelligent lifeforms, and c) demons can and do protrude into the physical world.
> 
> \- demons primarily enter the world through maws, large and persistent gateways that tend to form in the wake of violent acts or spikes of negative emotion.
> 
> \- the eastern court is the dominant non-human political power in asia, a conglomerate government that manages the rights, laws, and protections of most elves, werebeasts, and vampires in the continent. it also regulates diplomatic and military relationships with dragons (who are too rare and terrifying to have a meaningful presence in court), fae (who spend most of their time in a pocket universe), and humans.
> 
> \- Chan and Woojin are members of a reconnaissance unit that provides information on how much progress a maw has made.
> 
> \- i've elected to make Woojin and Seungmin Brothers in this fic. i don't know why.


	2. let's get moving!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A certain vamp gets everyone on the road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i meant to publish friday but last week was kinda crap so enjoy i guess?  
> i'll introduce the rest of The Gang™ soon. i'm both psyched and scared to write them. (i promise Minho will actually do things later.)

Hyunjin drummed his fingers against the marble table. The meeting was inconsequential — a formality, as his father would say — but Felix had insisted on him coming. The promise of human dessert was something he unfortunately could not pass up, even if it meant sitting through two hours of recap.

 

He sensed a look from the left side of the table. A vampire lord from northern Japan, if he remembered correctly.

 

"Your Highness, I trust that the maw over Namsan is under control?"

 

"Of course. Since the incident, my forces have managed to push it back to the upper regions of the mountain."

 

The vampire leaned forward. "So it hasn't been closed yet?"

 

"A Sin Mother guards its heart. It ambushed us during our first attack, and we haven't been able to progress since."

 

The memory was bitter. The demon claimed far too many casualties that day.

 

Discussions spread across the room. Hyunjin was familiar with the words they hid — some of doubt, others of mocking, and occasionally, there were thoughts of how to actually solve the problem at hand.

 

He saw a hand shoot up from his right. Minho, a local pack leader, and one of the few court regulars that he actually liked. He nodded to the werewolf, who cleared his throat.

 

"If you need more men, my pack and I would be willing to help," Minho offered.

 

Hyunjin shot him a small smile. "Thank you, but at the moment we don't know enough about the enemy or area to launch another offensive. I wouldn't want to put you in any unnecessary danger."

 

The meeting moved on, and Hyunjin, no longer needed in discussion, was left to sit in relative silence.

 

His hand drifted to the lodestone in his pocket. The other half was not too far, judging from the moderate pulse of the rune. He thought back to the man to whom he'd given the stone — an honest and kind (and admittedly handsome) human. From his dress and build Hyunjin could discern that he was a soldier of some sort, but his manner had an innocence that betrayed his youth.

 

The elf wasn't quite sure why he had given the stone in the first place. Was it an act of kindness? Pity? A poor attempt at friendship? The human seemed to have reacted well, so he decided not to dwell on it and just wait until the stone activated.

 

The meeting concluded soon enough, and Hyunjin quickly made his way for the front doors, where Felix was unsurprisingly waiting. The vampire beamed at him, fangs and all.

 

"What's up bro? You seemed bored today."

 

Hyunjin scoffed. "You say that like there are actually interesting meetings."

 

"What about that one time when a fairy gave everyone a third eye so they could 'look at the problem from another perspective?'”

 

"...No?"

 

Felix rolled his eyes. "Lucky you. That was easily the worst two minutes of my life. But anyway, I got something for us while I was in Seoul."

 

Hyunjin watched the vampire reach into his sling bag. He got the damn thing from his human "friend" Changbin, whom he talked about far too much to be just a friend, and brought it around basically everywhere since.

 

"Binnie said these are called cookies." Felix pulled out a bright blue package with the word Oreo written in white on the top. He pulled back a plastic tongue to reveal rows of dark brown wafers, filled with some sort of cream. They smelled nauseatingly sweet.

 

Hyunjin raised an eyebrow. "Did he say they were good?"

 

Felix rolled his eyes. "Just try one. If you don't like them, I'll just split them with Changbin."

 

The elf hesitantly picked out a cookie. He turned it over a few times, examining the pattern on the wafer, and took a small bite.

 

"I mean," he said between nibbles, "it's not bad."

 

“Right? So, let's drive around for a bit, and you can have as many as you want while we’re at it,” Felix said, walking out the doors and letting the cool night air enter the room.

 

“Drive?”

 

Hyunjin apparently asked too soon, because Felix beckoned for him from outside, and he found the vampire sitting on the hood of a black sedan. The doors unlocked as if to mock him.

 

“You can't be serious, Lix. You could have just been teleported here.”

 

Felix moved to get into the driver's seat, setting down the Oreos on the center console. “I could have, but here we are.” He started the engine. “Get in.”

 

Hyunjin walked over and sat opposite of Felix, who looked at him expectantly. “What?”

 

“Seatbelt, bro.”

 

“Just drive.”

 

He watched the mansion quickly recede in the side mirror. His hand drifted to find the package of cookies, which he went through absentmindedly.

 

“What's on your mind?” Felix asked, waking him up from his reverie.

 

“Sorry?” Hyunjin turned to the other.

 

“You’re being weirdly quiet. Even earlier, you pretty much only said anything when spoken to.”

 

He looked back out the window. “It’s nothing, Lix.”

 

The vampire shot a look at him, and he knew he couldn't get out of answering.

 

“I... I met a human the other day. A scout. He went a little too far out and was attacked by a Subjugator.”

 

He could feel Felix’s smirk. “You saved him, didn't you?”

 

“I mean, yeah. And he was really nice, so I helped him find his way back, and—”

 

“You did something stupid, didn't you?”

 

Hyunjin sighed. “I gave him a lodestone.”

 

Felix pulled over the car, and turned to the elf with a devilish smile on his face. “You have it on you right now, don't you? The other half.”

 

“Uh, yes?”

 

Felix held his hand out. “Give.”

 

“Why?”

 

“If he hasn't done anything with it, and you haven't either, then I will.” Felix leaned in closer. “Give.”

 

Reluctantly, he reached into his pocket and retrieved the stone. Felix wasted no time snatching it out of his hand, hastily tracing the rune. It hovered in the air, turning its twin points to the left like a compass.

 

“He’s not very far from here, is he? In the city?” Felix asked. With the other’s nod, he started up the engine and rushed back onto the road.

 

“I cannot believe I let you do this.” Hyunjin stared up to the ceiling, a slight blush dusting his cheeks.

 

“The fact that you aren’t doing anything to stop me says otherwise.” Felix grabbed the elf’s hand for a second, interlacing their fingers. “Trust me, yeah? If it goes bad, I’ll take you home and make you some nice human food.”

 

Hyunjin looked back out the window, a smile spread across his face. “I’d like that.”

 

\---

 

Chan woke up groggily to a hand shaking him by the shoulder and... nothing else. No birds chirping, or alarm ringing, or sunlight streaming through the window. He reluctantly opened his eyes to a clearly irritated Woojin.

 

“What time is it?”

 

“12:10.”

 

“What the fuck. I’m going back to sleep.” Chan pulled the covers over his head. Woojin dragged them back with a sigh.

 

“It’s about your magic rock. It’s doing things.”

 

Chan shot up. “What. What is it doing?”

 

Woojin pointed to the bag leaning against the wall, which was glowing from inside with the same blue from earlier. Chan clambered out of bed and unzipped the bag, at which point the lodestone rose into the air, pointing towards the door.

 

“What’s the plan, bro?” Woojin asked, plopping down onto his mattress.

 

“I guess we follow its directions? I didn’t think I’d get a call from him.” Chan hobbled over to the door to flip on the lights, and went to rummage through the closet. “You’re coming, right?”

 

Woojin stared at the floor, then looked back up to his ever-so-optimistic friend. He managed to will himself onto his feet.

 

“Yeah, let’s go. I need to call in a favour to get us outside at this godforsaken time.” He pulled his phone from the nightstand.

 

Chan glanced back. “From who?”

 

“Innie, of course. My son, and also the only magician in this building that I trust.” Woojin put his phone back in his pocket and moved to get his clothes.

 

“He is not your son.”

 

“Then how did I get him to teleport us out and back?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> more world notes:  
> \- chronologically speaking, Felix is the oldest character introduced thus far, at a fair 400 or so years of age. not that most people can tell, because he's long since decided that being a mysterious, sexy immortal is boring; we instead have a fun-loving, impulsive traveler with a great appreciation for humans and their creations.  
> \- most humans have very little ability with magic. the few with greater potential, such as Jeongin, are kept track of by the government in most countries. Jeongin lives in a military base with Chan and Woojin, but due to his age, he spends most days at school. he is kept around because his latent power is particularly high, and he doesn't mind participating in the occasional study.  
> \- the meeting took place in a mansion located quite a ways out of the city. it can act as a meeting room, a place of operations, and a safe house, if necessary.  
> \- as one might imagine, fae are rarely invited in court, or anywhere. they are usually called upon when very powerful magic is needed — even the least among them can easily warp reality for the sake of a cheap trick.


	3. early morning dates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i started university about a month ago. this chapter has been sitting in my notes for months and i hated just having it there, so i finished it up instead of studying for midterms or sleeping at a reasonable time
> 
> cannot honestly promise consistent or frequent updates, but i really do want to finish this work. fingers crossed

"Innie, sweetheart, what the fuck?"

 

It was all Woojin could say, having walked in on the young man lying next to a (thankfully fast asleep) Seungmin. Jeongin scrambled to sit up, somehow not waking up his bedmate in the process. He half-expected Woojin to kill him then and there.

 

Jeongin looked to Chan for some kind of reassurance. The older boy could only grimace and shrug from behind a glowering Woojin.

 

"I didn't think you would come so soon!" Jeongin held his hands up in surrender. "I can explain."

 

"Oh, I'm sure you can explain why you snuck a civilian into a military base," Woojin whisper-yelled. He looked to his snoring brother and turned back just as quickly. "And why is your taste so bad? I raised you better than this."

 

Chan couldn't help but snort at that. The other two glared at him in response before continuing their conversation.

 

Jeongin got up to speak, careful not to wake up Seungmin. "We're not together. He just -- he had a bad day. Called me a couple hours ago and asked to stay the night, so I ported him here."

 

Woojin's expression softened at this, and he took another look at his brother. Seungmin was curled into himself, back to the wall. Unconsciously, the boy pulled the sheets closer to make up for the sudden lack of Jeongin's warmth. Woojin thought he could make out tear tracks, and a twinge of guilt shot down his spine.

 

"Did he tell you anything?" Woojin asked.

 

"Only that he missed me, and that school was rough." Jeongin sighed and moved to lean against the wall opposite the bed. "Anyway, uh. Did you want to deal with that later? I know you guys came for a ride."

 

Woojin turned to Chan, who up until then was just standing awkwardly in front of the door. "Are we in a rush?"

 

Chan produced the lodestone again, which hovered gently over the palm of his hand. It pulsed more brightly than before, blue fire dancing from within.

 

Jeongin's eyes twinkled in the spectral light. Noticing this, Chan held it out to the younger, who came to take it in hands. He prodded at the stone gently, watching it bounce like it was floating in water.

 

"Pretty, right?" Chan said. He couldn't help but smile at Jeongin's fascination with the device.

 

"Yeah, it's just. I don't really get to see non-human tech very often. I've seen pictures in class, but this is... different." He shook himself out of his reverie and looked back to his elder. "What's it saying?"

 

"I think they're coming to us, but it might take a while. The closer they are, the easier it is for you, right?"

 

Jeongin shot him a smile, and Chan felt warmth rushing to his face.

 

Woojin nodded, then walked over the the bed. He sat by Seungmin and, laying a hand on his shoulder, gently shook him awake. Seungmin's bleary eyes widened in surprise, and he pushed himself up against the wall.

 

"What -- what are you doing here?" he blurted out. Already getting defensive, Woojin noted.

 

"I could ask you the same thing." Seungmin wilted in response. Woojin bit his tongue before continuing. "Minnie, is everything okay?"

 

Seungmin avoided eye contact and began fidgeting with his fingers. "Yeah. School is hard sometimes. And I miss you guys a lot. Innie's either in class or here, I can basically only get to you and Chan through Skype, and Changbin is with his boyfriend and I don't wanna bother him. Don't wanna bother anyone."

 

"You're not a bother, Minnie." Woojin scooted a little closer to his brother. "Can I hold your hand?"

 

Seungmin stared down at the sheets, then gave a hesitant nod. Woojin smiled and took his hand before continuing to speak.

 

"I'm really proud of you for calling Jeongin. I know it's hard for you to talk about your feelings, and I'm glad you looked for someone to talk to. And you know you can talk to any of us. Me, Chan, Innie, Binnie."

 

"Yeah. Thanks." Seungmin let out a shaky sigh. He looked up and saw that Chan and Jeongin were sitting on the edge of the bed, smiling at him with sad eyes. "Love you guys."

 

Chan responded immediately. "Minnie, I would literally die for you. Cutest boy this side of Korea."

 

Seungmin automatically responded with a joking "you will", and Jeongin laughed at Chan's confused and slightly scared expression. Woojin smiled at the scene.

 

"So," Woojin asked, looking at Chan, "when's your boyfriend getting here?"

 

Seungmin's head shot up. "Chan has a boyfriend?"

 

"I do not! Don't call him that." Chan scowled as he reached into his pocket for the stone. It shone fiercely, pointing to the window at the end of the room.

 

"I'm guessing they're outside then," Jeongin said, walking over to look out.

 

"Don't be ridiculous," Chan replied, following Jeongin to the window. "It's only been a few minutes, how fast could they--"

 

They watched as a black car cruised down the street, a faint blue light coming from inside. The stone in Chan's hand followed its path.

 

"Huh. He can drive." Chan turned around to see Jeongin in the middle of the room holding a metal orb. It hovered in his hands, hissing with energy.

 

"I'm porting us to the field by the road. And before you ask, I've already dealt with the cameras."

 

Woojin tilted his head. "I'm not surprised, but how?"

 

"Security guy owes me a favour. There was some cursed ramen involved, but anyway. He's clearing the footage tonight." Jeongin looked up to make eye contact with Chan, still by the window. "Chan, can you get behind me? I'd rather we all enter the portal from the same side."

 

"Yeah, yeah, of course." Chan scurried around to stand by Woojin and Seungmin, who were now up behind Jeongin. The latter was slipping on his shoes. "Minnie, you're coming with us?"

 

Seungmin continued to tie his laces. "I'm pretty awake, with all this going on. Besides, I wanna see your new date." He stood back up with a devilish smile. Chan swore he saw the corner of Woojin's mouth curve up.

 

"You guys wanna see a magic trick?" Jeongin interjected. The three of them looked up to see the youngest push his metal ball to the centre of the room. It slowed suddenly and began to disappear, like hitting an invisible wall of molasses.

 

Then, Jeongin splayed out his fingers, and the orb burst into a ring of silver fragments. As it expanded, Chan could see the field on the other side, and feel the cold night air seep into the room. In seconds, the hole was large enough to step into.

 

Jeongin immediately leapt through, and jumped on the grass for good measure. "Coming?"

 

Chan and Woojin exchanged looks, then hesitantly stepped through the portal, Seungmin close behind them. Their shoes met with dewy grass and soil.

 

Chan pulled out the lodestone one more time. He watched its point turn back in sync with the car from before. It drove back down the road, coming to a stop in front of them.

 

"Wait. I've seen that sedan before," Seungmin said, stepping forward a little.

 

"What do you mean?" Woojin asked.

 

"That's an Audi A8. Changbin's boyfriend has -- no fucking way."

 

\---

 

"They opened a portal to leave the building," Hyunjin noted.

 

"It's a military complex, I'm not surprised." Felix undid his seatbelt and pocketed the lodestone, now glowing annoyingly bright. "Did you know he could do any sort of magic?"

 

Hyunjin shrugged, putting the half empty Oreo box on the dash. "Couldn't sense anything. He must have asked a friend."

 

They both got out of the car and saw four figures standin in the field before them. Hyunjin could make out Chan's face by the light of his lodestone.

 

Felix squinted. "Wait a damn minute. I know that kid, the one in his pyjamas."

 

"Felix, I have literally never head that word in my life."

 

"He's in the stripes. That's Seungmin, Changbin's younger friend. Haven't seen him in a good month."

 

Hyunjin closed the car door. "I guess we're both having reunions." He took Felix by the wrist and started walking them both down.

 

"You seem weirdly confident about this, Jinnie."

 

"You have no idea how hard my heart is beating. But you dragged me here, so now we both have to live with the consequences." He looked back to Felix, and the vampire could see that he was wearing his serious face. The face of a diplomat, a soldier, a prince. "It's rude to keep people waiting."

 

But the elf smirked ever so slightly, and the dorky, nervous Hyunjin still bled through. Felix took a deep breath, smiled, and continued onward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> world notes:
> 
> \- i wrote seungmin as being on the autism spectrum. idk if that reads well.
> 
> \- paired lodestones are essentially compasses that point two each other on activation, and glow increasingly bright as they get closer together. as a privacy and safety measure, they're generally enchanted such that if one person activates their half, the other is activated in turn. they draw power from the earth and work anywhere on the planet, regardless of position.
> 
> \- magical entities and practitioners are necessarily attuned to the magic that surrounds them, and in turn, they can perceive each other as sources and disturbances of magic. what this means practically is that magic users can pick each other out of a crowd, and when someone uses magic, it can be felt by others in a pretty big area. when Hyunjin says he didn't sense anything from Chan, he means that Chan didn't seem to be capable of magic and correctly guesses that someone else created the portal.
> 
> \- Jeongin had a copy of the key to his room made for Woojin, which is how the elder walked in on him in the first place.


End file.
